Suit against IMDb shedding light on how birth dates can kill acting careers

[vienna]

Isn't this really about a refusal to "act" ones true age? I mean if an actor is too old to play a teenager anymore then maybe he should start looking for parts better suited to his age.

Sometimes, not really...

For some roles, an actor can play somewhat younger than their actual age. Michael J. Fox in his early movies springs to mind. He seemed to play a teenager for a rather long time. The real problem is in televison series. Take a show like "Beverly Hills 90210": when the show started, no one really knew how long the show would last. They cast a lot of over 18 but younger looking actors (casting actors under 18 is a really big expense and headache -- on-set tutors, guardians, social workers, restricted working hours, etc). The show became a hit, but, worse for the producers, the actors became pop culture icons. It's really hard to fire and/or replace actors of they are too closely associated with the popularity of the show. Added to this is the actor's desires to live a "Hiollywood Lifestyle", which seems to rather accelerate the aging process of anyone. So now you've got a hit, long-running program with "teenage" actor who are aging at a rapid rate.

The real problem with the age issue is the practice of out-of-hand dismissal of an actor simply based on their age, not their talent, ability, or even their ability to look younger for the part. So much of modern television and film is marketing instead of quality of program; the studios and networks feel it is a harder sell to their target marketing audience if the principals in the production are deemed "outside" of the audience. Think of it in the same way as the old 1960's saying "Don't trust anybody over 30". There is no real rhyme or reason for the viewpoint; it is arbitrary "discrimination" plain and simple...